100 million dollars to link the Nile with Suez Canal Region

Transport minister has commenced undergoing required studies for the implementation of two projects to link the river Nile with the Economic Region, so that the first expands from Damietta then to Manzala Lake and linking it with the Canal Economic Region and the second dredging a new branch of Ismailia canal as from kilo112 till the entrance of the Canal in the industrial region to transport cargo and containers by ships and barges.

Dr. Abd ElAzim Mohamed, head of River transport general authority said that a number of Arab companies have nearly accomplished legal procedures to commence implementation of the project with investments reaching 100 million dollars, declaring that Ukraine has started last April exploring the project sites and the navigational channels and its suitability and has agreed with the authority to transport strategic commodities through signing protocol in cooperation with Supply ministry and added that Ismailia canal with its current status is unsuitable to link with Canal Economic Region; and hence the amendment, because the bridges established on it as from kilo 112 to kilo 128 have resulted in a great problem in barges traffic.

He declared that the authority is working to achieve and activate transport ministry strategy amplifying benefitting from river transport system and cargo transport; being a great added value a multipurpose transport mean and one of the important solutions that lightens burdens on the road network and consumes fuel; pointing out that strategic commodities has been transported from the general company for silos and grains at Alex port to the company’s silos at Imbaba district at Giza of tonnages 1200 ton, the matter that gives the port a competitive privilege and contributes in encouraging companies to increase transported percentage from Alex port through the river Nile.